Chapter Eight: Night of the Devil's Children
Night fell at last over the city, and the STN-J's time ran out. Now stationed in five corners of the city, with a handful of Factory personnel at their behest, Robin, Amon, Karasuma, Haruto and even Doujima were waiting for any sign of activities. Each of them hand roughly a half-dozen Factory personnel at the ready, with Zaizen's remaining forces working with Kosaka to distract the local authorities.
It was Robin who noticed it first, glancing out from her station point, as the familiar visage of Kamiya emerged in the night, dozens of people walking behind him. She quickly activated her headset. "Michael, alert the others. It's starting."
The Factory personnel readied their weapons but Robin waved them off, stepping forward herself, approaching Kamiya as he and his followers moved through the night.
"Kamiya," Robin declared as she came into full view of her foe, a low breeze swaying her dress about.
"Robin," Kamiya noted. "You accepted my challenge- I thank you. I have to kill you hunters for what you have done to my followers."
"What do you mean?" Robin asked him, thinking back to Nasat's efforts to exterminate the witches.
"Don't play dumb," Kamiya told him. "Who else would be hunting us? The man you and I faced?"
"Yes, exactly," Robin stated. "His name is Nasat. He is the one who's been hunting you."
"And I assume your own team made no efforts?" Kamiya asked smugly.
Robin hesitated, searching for an answer of some sort.
Kamiya smiled. "Ah. It is ironic that your silence betrays the truth..." He readied himself. "Before the slaughter begins, I expect you and I will have to finish what we started."
Robin nodded as she silently put her glasses on. "Ready when you are."
Kamiya smiled and lifted one arm. "Let us see how you have improved!" With his arm motion a gale picked up. His followers edged back as a miniature typhoon shot at Robin. She quickly readied her fire, however, creating a barrier to cancel the raging wind before it could touch her, and then repeated the process as Kamiya sent out another gust.
Robin waited until the wind had subsided before launching her own assault, beginning with a quick burst of flame at Kamiya's shoulder and a second for his burnt arm, both of which were spared as a gale picked up once again, scattering the flames into harmless embers.
"Better," Kamiya noted with a grin. "But not by much." He set out another burst of wind, which Robin moved to the side of, unleashing a torrent of flame to counter. Kamiya threw out his arms and separated the flames, sending them harmlessly out to either side of him. He unleashed another concentrated typhoon at Robin, who received the full force of the attack, sent back several feet.
"Robin," came Amon's voice over her headset. "We're on the way. We should be there in ten minutes. Can you hold off Kamiya for that long?"
"Maybe for about half as long," Robin muttered in reply as she moved closer to Kamiya, carefully avoiding another gust. "Hurry. Even if I manage to hold him off there's another fifty witches or so waiting in the wings."
"Robin, try to talk to him," Amon suggested. "Kamiya seemed to like the sound of his own voice- make conversation!"
Robin shrugged and sent out a burst of flame, which again Kamiya scattered with his wind. "So, you still managed to get a large number after all the killings. How did you do it?"
"The damage you hunters have done has only helped to strengthen our resolve," Kamiya replied as he sent forth another typhoon at Robin, who blocked it with another fiery wall. "Killing us off brought the survivors together. You were foolish to try and eliminate us- one of us at a time may be weak, but together we can not be defeated. You must see that by now."
Robin did not respond immediately as she unleashed another fiery torrent at Kamiya, who predictably scattered the flames once more. "I understand I don't have much chance against all of those you've gathered... but I promise I will at least bring you down."
Kamiya chuckled. "Yes, that is what I wanted to hear. I may have had you against the ropes last time, but you did spare my life- let us see you make up for it! Show me how powerful you are. We will know which of us is superior."
"Why, I am, of course."
Robin and Kamiya halted their actions as Nasat stepped forth from the crowd of Kamiya's followers, all of them looking upon him in awe.
"So, you have returned," Kamiya noted, glaring at Nasat, raising one bandage-covered arm. "You will pay for daring to challenge me!"
Nasat smiled confidently, fixing his gaze on Kamiya. "Rejoice, brother- for tonight you and your followers will meet our father. One as powerful as you has a good chance of receiving at least (some) favor from him."
Kamiya clenched his fist. "What do you want?"
"To kill you," Nasat answered simply. "And your 'followers'. And of course, Robin."
Robin turned and glanced at Nasat. "How do you know me?"
Nasat smiled at her before turning to face Kamiya. "I will deal with you momentarily, girl. First I must rid the world of the weaklings before me."
Kamiya chuckled. "You against all of us? You should be on our side! The humans must pay for what they've done to us!"
Nasat closed his eyes and smirked. "Normal people are of no interest to me. They can not provide the necessary sport. Only hunting witches can satisfy me." He smiled. "Only with their deaths can I truly feel alive."
Kamiya glared at him. "Very well. My followers will not be harmed by you." He stepped up to Nasat, ready for a fight.
Nasat smirked and lowered his head. In an instant, the fifty-odd witches behind Kamiya were on fire.
Robin stepped back in shock as dozens of screams pierced the night. Kamiya's followers scattered, running around in pain before they were burnt beyond recognition in a matter of seconds.
Kamiya glanced at the display in utter shock, before turning to face Nasat again, gritting his teeth, shaking with unhindered rage.
"Now you can not take your revenge," Nasat noted. "Unless you intend to take on the entire city by yourself. If you do, I could wait a while- let you have your fun before I kill you."
"You monster," Kamiya raged. "You just destroyed your own brethren! Because of you, more of what few of us there are lie dead!" He again clenched his bandaged fist. "I swear I will kill you here and now."
Nasat laughed. "You are a fool," He turned away, still chuckling. "What purpose do you have now? You have truly failed as a leader. You survive and all those who followed you are dead." He laughed even more loudly. "And there was nothing you could do to stop it..."
"Is (this) nothing?!" Kamiya roared, sending out a blast of wind at Nasat's back, his anger fueling the enormous energy he placed into his attack.
Nasat laughed again as a fiery veil blocked and separated the winds, scattering them about. "Yes, it is. You may be a powerful witch, but I am the devil's heir... no one is as strong as me." He glanced over at Robin. "Except maybe for her..."
Robin removed herself from her stunned state and glanced at Nasat. "Me?"
"You," Nasat nodded. "Our superiors have always thought very highly of you. They think you are better than anyone else." He turned. "But we can talk about that later."
"Nasat!" came another voice.
Robin, Kamiya and Nasat all turned to see Haruto, Amon and Karasauma, leveling their pistols at the two scraggly-haired men. Robin quickly moved back, standing level with her comrades.
"The hunter," Nasat noted. "You are beginning to annoy me."
Doujima and a number of Factory personnel joined the STN-J's team in facing Nasat, as Kamiya glared at all parties involved.
"What's going on?" Kamiya demanded.
"We're here to stop your plans," Karasuma replied. "Where are all the other witches?"
"Dead," Kamiya grunted. "Thanks to this friend of yours." He pointed at Nasat.
Amon looked behind the two, noticing the charred carcasses littering the ground. He quickly activated his headset. "Michael, send the clean-up crews in."
"You don't want to wait until you've apprehended them?" Michael asked.
"Things are accelerating rapidly down here," Amon replied. "Do it."
"Doing it," Michael confirmed as Amon shut his headset off.
"This is it," Amon instructed. "Fire on him."
Haruto, Karasuma and Doujima nodded and let loose a hail of orbo bullets at Nasat. The Factory followed suit, launching their own assault just after the STN-J's.
Nasat sighed. "They never learn..." Again a fiery veil picked up, burning the bullets harmlessly away before they could reach their target. He sent out his own stream of flames while upholding the veil, towards his adversaries.
The STN-J and Factory personnel scattered as the flames shot past. Robin glanced over to check her comrades for any harm, and thus did not notice Nasat suddenly grabbing her and charging past.
"Robin!" Amon called as he spotted Nasat charging past with the girl in tow. He glanced at Haruto and Karasuma. "Apprehend him. I will deal with this." He charged after Nasat, a number of Factory personnel on his heels.
Haruto leveled his pistol at Kamiya. "Surrender to us now."
Kamiya glared at him. "Another time, hunter. Right now, there is only one person who will suffer my vengeance." He brought up a maelstrom of winds and bore upwards, passing over the STN-J and Factory personnel.
"Haruto," came Michael's voice over his headset. "Clean-up crews on the way. Do you know why Amon's not answering his link?"
"Robin's been taken by Nasat," Haruto answered. "Amon and Kamiya are both chasing after him."
"What?!" Michael switched to another frequency. "Miss Karasuma, what's this about Robin?"
Zaizen stepped over to Michael's computer, where Hattori had already positioned himself.
"Robin's been kidnapped?" Zaizen repeated. "Damn Amon- will he (ever) just follow orders?"
"Um... to change topics," Michael said quickly. "There's a number of witches that need to be removed. Our personnel are keeping the civilians away while we wait for the clean up. What should the others do?"
Zaizen considered. "Tell them to follow Amon and go after Nasat. If Kamiya's plans have been halted then Nasat is our new primary objective."
"What about saving Robin?" Michael asked him.
Zaizen turned away. "If we can, of course..."
Michael sighed and carried out Zaizen's instructions.
Night fell at last over the city, and the STN-J's time ran out. Now stationed in five corners of the city, with a handful of Factory personnel at their behest, Robin, Amon, Karasuma, Haruto and even Doujima were waiting for any sign of activities. Each of them hand roughly a half-dozen Factory personnel at the ready, with Zaizen's remaining forces working with Kosaka to distract the local authorities.
It was Robin who noticed it first, glancing out from her station point, as the familiar visage of Kamiya emerged in the night, dozens of people walking behind him. She quickly activated her headset. "Michael, alert the others. It's starting."
The Factory personnel readied their weapons but Robin waved them off, stepping forward herself, approaching Kamiya as he and his followers moved through the night.
"Kamiya," Robin declared as she came into full view of her foe, a low breeze swaying her dress about.
"Robin," Kamiya noted. "You accepted my challenge- I thank you. I have to kill you hunters for what you have done to my followers."
"What do you mean?" Robin asked him, thinking back to Nasat's efforts to exterminate the witches.
"Don't play dumb," Kamiya told him. "Who else would be hunting us? The man you and I faced?"
"Yes, exactly," Robin stated. "His name is Nasat. He is the one who's been hunting you."
"And I assume your own team made no efforts?" Kamiya asked smugly.
Robin hesitated, searching for an answer of some sort.
Kamiya smiled. "Ah. It is ironic that your silence betrays the truth..." He readied himself. "Before the slaughter begins, I expect you and I will have to finish what we started."
Robin nodded as she silently put her glasses on. "Ready when you are."
Kamiya smiled and lifted one arm. "Let us see how you have improved!" With his arm motion a gale picked up. His followers edged back as a miniature typhoon shot at Robin. She quickly readied her fire, however, creating a barrier to cancel the raging wind before it could touch her, and then repeated the process as Kamiya sent out another gust.
Robin waited until the wind had subsided before launching her own assault, beginning with a quick burst of flame at Kamiya's shoulder and a second for his burnt arm, both of which were spared as a gale picked up once again, scattering the flames into harmless embers.
"Better," Kamiya noted with a grin. "But not by much." He set out another burst of wind, which Robin moved to the side of, unleashing a torrent of flame to counter. Kamiya threw out his arms and separated the flames, sending them harmlessly out to either side of him. He unleashed another concentrated typhoon at Robin, who received the full force of the attack, sent back several feet.
"Robin," came Amon's voice over her headset. "We're on the way. We should be there in ten minutes. Can you hold off Kamiya for that long?"
"Maybe for about half as long," Robin muttered in reply as she moved closer to Kamiya, carefully avoiding another gust. "Hurry. Even if I manage to hold him off there's another fifty witches or so waiting in the wings."
"Robin, try to talk to him," Amon suggested. "Kamiya seemed to like the sound of his own voice- make conversation!"
Robin shrugged and sent out a burst of flame, which again Kamiya scattered with his wind. "So, you still managed to get a large number after all the killings. How did you do it?"
"The damage you hunters have done has only helped to strengthen our resolve," Kamiya replied as he sent forth another typhoon at Robin, who blocked it with another fiery wall. "Killing us off brought the survivors together. You were foolish to try and eliminate us- one of us at a time may be weak, but together we can not be defeated. You must see that by now."
Robin did not respond immediately as she unleashed another fiery torrent at Kamiya, who predictably scattered the flames once more. "I understand I don't have much chance against all of those you've gathered... but I promise I will at least bring you down."
Kamiya chuckled. "Yes, that is what I wanted to hear. I may have had you against the ropes last time, but you did spare my life- let us see you make up for it! Show me how powerful you are. We will know which of us is superior."
"Why, I am, of course."
Robin and Kamiya halted their actions as Nasat stepped forth from the crowd of Kamiya's followers, all of them looking upon him in awe.
"So, you have returned," Kamiya noted, glaring at Nasat, raising one bandage-covered arm. "You will pay for daring to challenge me!"
Nasat smiled confidently, fixing his gaze on Kamiya. "Rejoice, brother- for tonight you and your followers will meet our father. One as powerful as you has a good chance of receiving at least (some) favor from him."
Kamiya clenched his fist. "What do you want?"
"To kill you," Nasat answered simply. "And your 'followers'. And of course, Robin."
Robin turned and glanced at Nasat. "How do you know me?"
Nasat smiled at her before turning to face Kamiya. "I will deal with you momentarily, girl. First I must rid the world of the weaklings before me."
Kamiya chuckled. "You against all of us? You should be on our side! The humans must pay for what they've done to us!"
Nasat closed his eyes and smirked. "Normal people are of no interest to me. They can not provide the necessary sport. Only hunting witches can satisfy me." He smiled. "Only with their deaths can I truly feel alive."
Kamiya glared at him. "Very well. My followers will not be harmed by you." He stepped up to Nasat, ready for a fight.
Nasat smirked and lowered his head. In an instant, the fifty-odd witches behind Kamiya were on fire.
Robin stepped back in shock as dozens of screams pierced the night. Kamiya's followers scattered, running around in pain before they were burnt beyond recognition in a matter of seconds.
Kamiya glanced at the display in utter shock, before turning to face Nasat again, gritting his teeth, shaking with unhindered rage.
"Now you can not take your revenge," Nasat noted. "Unless you intend to take on the entire city by yourself. If you do, I could wait a while- let you have your fun before I kill you."
"You monster," Kamiya raged. "You just destroyed your own brethren! Because of you, more of what few of us there are lie dead!" He again clenched his bandaged fist. "I swear I will kill you here and now."
Nasat laughed. "You are a fool," He turned away, still chuckling. "What purpose do you have now? You have truly failed as a leader. You survive and all those who followed you are dead." He laughed even more loudly. "And there was nothing you could do to stop it..."
"Is (this) nothing?!" Kamiya roared, sending out a blast of wind at Nasat's back, his anger fueling the enormous energy he placed into his attack.
Nasat laughed again as a fiery veil blocked and separated the winds, scattering them about. "Yes, it is. You may be a powerful witch, but I am the devil's heir... no one is as strong as me." He glanced over at Robin. "Except maybe for her..."
Robin removed herself from her stunned state and glanced at Nasat. "Me?"
"You," Nasat nodded. "Our superiors have always thought very highly of you. They think you are better than anyone else." He turned. "But we can talk about that later."
"Nasat!" came another voice.
Robin, Kamiya and Nasat all turned to see Haruto, Amon and Karasauma, leveling their pistols at the two scraggly-haired men. Robin quickly moved back, standing level with her comrades.
"The hunter," Nasat noted. "You are beginning to annoy me."
Doujima and a number of Factory personnel joined the STN-J's team in facing Nasat, as Kamiya glared at all parties involved.
"What's going on?" Kamiya demanded.
"We're here to stop your plans," Karasuma replied. "Where are all the other witches?"
"Dead," Kamiya grunted. "Thanks to this friend of yours." He pointed at Nasat.
Amon looked behind the two, noticing the charred carcasses littering the ground. He quickly activated his headset. "Michael, send the clean-up crews in."
"You don't want to wait until you've apprehended them?" Michael asked.
"Things are accelerating rapidly down here," Amon replied. "Do it."
"Doing it," Michael confirmed as Amon shut his headset off.
"This is it," Amon instructed. "Fire on him."
Haruto, Karasuma and Doujima nodded and let loose a hail of orbo bullets at Nasat. The Factory followed suit, launching their own assault just after the STN-J's.
Nasat sighed. "They never learn..." Again a fiery veil picked up, burning the bullets harmlessly away before they could reach their target. He sent out his own stream of flames while upholding the veil, towards his adversaries.
The STN-J and Factory personnel scattered as the flames shot past. Robin glanced over to check her comrades for any harm, and thus did not notice Nasat suddenly grabbing her and charging past.
"Robin!" Amon called as he spotted Nasat charging past with the girl in tow. He glanced at Haruto and Karasuma. "Apprehend him. I will deal with this." He charged after Nasat, a number of Factory personnel on his heels.
Haruto leveled his pistol at Kamiya. "Surrender to us now."
Kamiya glared at him. "Another time, hunter. Right now, there is only one person who will suffer my vengeance." He brought up a maelstrom of winds and bore upwards, passing over the STN-J and Factory personnel.
"Haruto," came Michael's voice over his headset. "Clean-up crews on the way. Do you know why Amon's not answering his link?"
"Robin's been taken by Nasat," Haruto answered. "Amon and Kamiya are both chasing after him."
"What?!" Michael switched to another frequency. "Miss Karasuma, what's this about Robin?"
Zaizen stepped over to Michael's computer, where Hattori had already positioned himself.
"Robin's been kidnapped?" Zaizen repeated. "Damn Amon- will he (ever) just follow orders?"
"Um... to change topics," Michael said quickly. "There's a number of witches that need to be removed. Our personnel are keeping the civilians away while we wait for the clean up. What should the others do?"
Zaizen considered. "Tell them to follow Amon and go after Nasat. If Kamiya's plans have been halted then Nasat is our new primary objective."
"What about saving Robin?" Michael asked him.
Zaizen turned away. "If we can, of course..."
Michael sighed and carried out Zaizen's instructions.